Amazon Prime price increase clause ruled invalid by German court

The German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) has ruled that the price adjustment clause used by Amazon for its Prime membership increases in 2022 was invalid. The court found the contractual terms to be insufficiently transparent, as customers could not clearly determine whether they had to cancel the membership entirely to avoid the price hike or if they could object and continue under previous conditions.

While the ruling (case number III ZR 205/25) settles the legality of the clause, it does not directly decide on individual refunds. The actual repayment of overcharged fees is currently the subject of a separate, ongoing legal proceeding. Affected long-term customers are encouraged to review their past payments and may register for a class-action lawsuit to claim potential refunds.